Cleverley could return to squad for game against Liverpool

Tom Cleverley could be making his long awaited return. Photo: Andrew Yates (Getty Images)

Tom Cleverley has been out of the United squad since Kevin Davies injured him in the fixture at the Reebok earlier this season. Today, Tom was supposed to feature for the United reserves against City in the Manchester Senior Cup but with his name omitted from the teamsheet, hopes have arisen that Tom has been rested ahead of the fixture against Liverpool this Saturday.

Tom will not feature on the starting XI but his place amongst the substitutions bench will be a great boost to United. Our desperate lack of creative midfielders led to the re-emergence of Scholes from retirement but with the run-in fastly approaching, we need to find strength in depth in our squad if we are to compete with City and Tottenham. In our blistering start to the season, the midfield partnership of Anderson and Cleverley was probably the most impressive pairing we had on the pitch. Consistently dominant in every respect, they formed a partnership that fuelled United’s goal glut which included the 8-2 drumming of Arsenal at Old Trafford. Ever since they have both since found themselves injured, United have been switching the midfield pairing and have even had Park Ji Sung and Rooney as central midfield partners at one point, such was the lack of an alternative.

Michael Carrick has stamped his authority on the United midfield showing the sort of form that United fans adored in the double winning 2008 campaign and a partnership that has never been fulfilled so far, Carrick and Cleverley, is one that I think could be United’s most fruitful. On paper, both players compliment each other perfectly with Carrick’s flawless positional sense and Cleverley’s energy should combine to make a combatative yet disciplined midfield partnership. They also possess great vision and could bridge the gap between defence and attack that could be the driving force behind United’s push for number 20 this season.